Trying Something New

I am always trying to come up with new meal ideas. Thankfully I am lucky enough to have many people in my life who are nice enough to share ideas and recipes with me. Supper at our house tonight will be a new pasta casserole that my friend Emily sent me the recipe for. Emily is currently dieting using Weight Watchers and has been very successful. Witnessing the progress she has made over the past several months is truly inspiring. While this is a WW recipe, I did modify it a bit. Not because I don't enjoy healthy things, but because I happened to have some alternative ingredients on hand and wanted to use them:) Thanks Emily, and keep up the great work!

Pizza Pepperoni Pasta

3 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta (I used regular)

1 lb lean ground turkey (I used ground beef)

1 medium onion chopped

2 1/2 c. garden-style spaghetti sauce

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp pepper

3 TBS grated Parmesan

4 oz sliced turkey pepperoni (I used regular)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook ground turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, basil, oregano, worcestershire sauce and pepper. Set aside.

Drain pasta. Transfer to a greased 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Top w/ spaghetti sauce mixture and pepperoni. Sprinkle w/ mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

(For those who want to make the WW version: 1 1/4 cup= 1 serving= 6 points)